The BecomingofAge Ball
by The Narnian Phantom Stallion
Summary: Lucy refuses to Peter that she will not dance with her suitors at the ball. She only loves one person..... First one-shot. T/L.


This is just something my little head cooked up the other night and I wrote it in an hour. I kind of had been thinking of writing something like this. I know a lot of people have stories and one-shots similar to this but maybe mine is a little different. I've taken ideas from an original story I was writing but threw away called 'Ranaya'. I may someday rewrite that story though.

Anyway please read and review and tell me what you think about this. Nuptials the sequel is in progress.

This is my first one-shot!

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'The Becoming of Age Ball '

(A Tumnus and Lucy One-Shot)

It was in the middle of summer that the High King Peter arranged a becoming-of-age ball for his younger 18 year old sister Queen Lucy.

Lucy did not want this…In fact she yelled at Peter that she would not dance with one Prince. She would only sit on the bench and watch the musicians.

The truth about the matter was she was in love with her long-time best friend Tumnus the faun.

Though no one knew this, not even Tumnus himself.

Lucy did not want to be courted by snooty-stuck up Princes when the only one she would ever want was Tumnus. She was too afraid to tell Tumnus she had fallen for him. Lucy thought he would laugh at her or worse break their friendship she treasured.

Little did Lucy know though because Tumnus was in the same predicament.

Tumnus almost could not bear it because his best friend whom he had fallen hard for was soon to be married.

He was long past marrying age. He was around 225 years old, which made him in faun years 25. Most fauns were married at 18. He never had thought about marrying even though there were a lot dryads and nymphs that were interested in him. He always shunned them away. The truth be told, he only and always would only want to marry one person.

_Lucy Pevensie, Queen Lucy the Valiant._

He felt ashamed to tell her or even say that he was in love with her. For Aslan's sake he was a faun!

Tumnus was to play his flute with the musicians, Lucy had insisted and he had never refused anything she asked.

Maybe that was why Lucy just wanted to sit on a bench and watch the musicians, because the love of her life was there.

Susan was making a fuss over Lucy as they prepared their selves for the ball.

"Oh, Lucy, you shall not wear that rag! Wear this!" Susan threw a purple silk gown at Lucy.

Lucy scowled; she wanted to wear her favorite red dress with gold trim. She loved the color red. She did not know why. Maybe because Tumnus' scarf was red and he liked red himself.

"That dress is too revealing, I hate it, Susan," Lucy pouted as Susan tried to persuade her.

"No it isn't Lucy; it shows your curves well. You need to make a good impression on the Princes," Susan went to the wardrobe and pulled out Lucy's most hated torture item.

_The corset_.

It was so tight and made her figure all the more curvy which she did not want to show. She did not want the Princes to be charmed tonight. She wanted them to hate her so she wouldn't have to marry one of them. Besides the curvier it made her. It made it so hard to breathe and every time she wore it she always fainted or almost did.

"But--," Lucy tried to protest though it did no good.

Her hair was piled up like a beehive like the royal's always wore their hair; she wore a lot of make-up, earbobs and a gaudy necklace.

All this flash was not her at all. Lucy liked to be earthy and plain and feminine in all.

Susan started to lace the awful corset and Lucy let out an ear-piercing cry as it pinched her sides cruelly.

"Lucy, don't be a baby. It is really not all that you put it to be," Susan tssked her tongue.

"Is everything okay in there?" a familiar male voice asked outside the door. It was Tumnus who was to be her escort tonight.

At the sound of his voice Lucy's stomach flipped.

"Yes, Master Tumnus, Lucy here is just being a little childish at the moment being," Susan chided.  
Lucy scoffed at her older sister. That was the last thing she wanted Tumnus to think of. Lucy being childish.

Outside the door Tumnus inwardly smiled, thoughtfully. His Queen maybe 18 but she was still childish in good ways. He rather liked her that way. She was unlike Susan who hardly had a down-to-earth personality. Susan was too formal and unhumorous. And Lucy did not care what anyone thought of her. She liked to run around bear foot with her hair down.

Lucy tried not to let out a howl as Susan gave one last sharp tug on the corset strings.

"There now. Time for the dress," Susan looked too cheery. It made Lucy sick.

Once the dress was on, Susan went to get the killer slippers with 3 inch heels.

Lucy gulped, oh what a night this would be. She could see herself tripping 20 times tonight.

All was then done, and they opened the door to Tumnus looking spiffed up.

Lucy could have sworn he blushed when he saw her, and that made her all the more nervous about this ball. If this was his reaction to her very womanly appearance than what would all the Princes think of her?

Oh how she wanted to only dance Tumnus and so much more. She despised the thought of getting courted by anyone then him. And though she knew he never would be courting her, she could hope couldn't she?

Susan dismissed herself, to go find her husband Yorshab.

"You look very--," Tumnus halted his words, blushing bright red.

Oh how Lucy wanted to runaway.

"You look very—nice," Tumnus finished, offering Lucy his arm which she took.

"So do you, Dear Tumnus," she smiled at him in spite of her discomfort. She wished to tell him her feelings before it was too late and she was forced to marry a Prince.

They were entering the ballroom and everyone looked up at her and Tumnus. She heard murmuring and whistles.

Her stomach churned and her hands shook.

Tumnus must have noticed because he looked at her and raised a questioning eyebrow. His eyes were so hypnotizing.

"I'm scared, I don't want this, Tumnus," Lucy almost cried.

"Its okay love," he said gently, taking her by so much surprise by calling her love she tripped on the red carpet rug.

Tumnus' arms came out quickly and grabbed onto her before she fell. Her life-saver!

He had called her love? He had never called her that. Love is what you call your sweetheart or wife. Her stomach churned and she almost couldn't breathe which had nothing to do with the corset at that moment. Was he in love with her too?!

They held each other's eyes for a few seconds. In a split second it was like he totally read her mind like a book because his eyes narrowed in thought then widened in almost shock.

Oh Aslan what have I done?! She thought furiously at herself.

The whistles only got that much louder. People were probably thinking the faun and girl were being suspicious the way Tumnus still had her in his arms.

He must have noticed people staring because he cleared his throat and let her go, only taking her arm.

They walked into the middle of the room.

Tumnus then parted from her to go where the musicians were much to Lucy's dismay.

It was not long a very handsome Prince of Calormen came up to Lucy, bowing, asking if he may dance with her.

Lucy clenched her teeth, "You may," she said, her voice as smooth as honey.

She and the Prince danced for a while, and though he talked and talked she did not pay any attention to him. Her attention was on Tumnus playing the flute across the room. He had not taken his eyes off her the whole time she was with the Prince.

Tumnus' expression was very glum. He looked absolutely miserable with himself.

Lucy excused herself and went to the bench to sit. She did not feel like dancing unless it was with Tumnus.

She sat down across from the musicians, so hoping no more suitors were to come upon her.

Tumnus just stared at her as if to ask, "What are you doing?"

They often conversed in body language or by facial expressions.

She shrugged, staring back into his blue eyes.

Lucy stayed there for a long time and it was not until Tumnus hit the wrong note that he put his flute down and walked away to their special balcony. It was just too much. Why did she stare at him so? She had no idea what she did to him. Why did she just sit and watch the musicians instead of dancing with suitors??? Oh why, why, why?!

He just could not take this pressure of being in love with her and not being able to show it. He had more than once caught himself from kissing her or just wanting to touch her arm for no apparent reason. He just wanted to be close to her. He felt as if he were dying when he was not with her.

But he did not know Lucy was the same way.

Lucy was surprised seeing her friend run out the room like that as if his tail were on fire.

She got up and ran after him, not giving a flip what everyone thought of her.

Tumnus grabbed onto his horns, wanting to scream, instead though he was the one acting childish. He started to cry his eyes out.

Lucy stopped in med-step hearing her faun friend cry. What on earth could be crying about? She was befuddled.

"Tumnus?" Lucy asked gently.

Tumnus swung around in alarm, "Oh, I'm sorry, you're Majesty," he wiped his eyes hastily.

Why had he addressed her in that way?

"Tumnus what's going on why were you crying?" She put her hand on his bear shoulder.

He flinched slightly at her touch, "I cannot tell you right now, Lucy," he got up and fled back to the ballroom.

Lucy gapped at him in shock. What in this world???

He avoided looking her in the eyes as he played his flute.

Lucy decided to just dance with her suitors. It was then Peter announced she was to say her choice of the one she wanted to marry. All the males eligible she could pick.

Lucy's heart leapt to her throat.

_Oh Aslan I can't marry any of these Princes, what am I to do?_

She could barely stand herself to think of marrying one.

She then knew what she had to do.

She glanced at Tumnus across the room. He was not too far away because she saw a tear glint in his eyes. And it dawned on her. He did love her!

She walked up to the middle of the room in the center of the crowd, "I—pick--," Her voice trailed off as she glanced at Tumnus whom now stared at her, interested in her choice of husband, "I choose the only person I've ever loved and only will love. The one who means the world to me. He doesn't even know that I am in fact madly in love with him. So for I pick Tumnus the faun," Lucy said, without faltering. She was not afraid of what people would think of her love for a simple commoner a faun at that, she did not care anymore. She needed him for all she was.

She looked across the room; Tumnus had tears streaming down his face, looking so touched and relieved.

Suddenly she ripped the hair pins from her hair and threw the horrible slippers off and ran to him.

Everyone gasped, even her siblings were shocked.

Tumnus stepped forward and Lucy threw her arms around his neck, "I love you, Tumnus. I think I always have."

Tumnus smiled at the Queen, "I love you too, Lucy. I have always loved you even if it was not this kind of love at first," He then dared to do what he had wanted to do for so long. He kissed her with all he had. She returned it.

People were gasping though some booed.

They did not care that people did not like the pairing.

The first Prince she danced with yelled, "She can't marry a commoner! None less a faun!"

"There is no law that says she cannot and is forbidden. It is perfectly lawful," Edmund shouted in defense of his sister.

The Prince scoffed and left.

Then everyone cheered at the new couple.

Tumnus kissed Lucy again. Unprepared it took her breath away and she swooned for a second. Thanks to that corset.

"Lucy!" Tumnus caught her up in his arms, holding her bridal style.

Lucy blushed scarlet red, "Sorry, you took me by surprise," she laughed, wanting to tug at the corset.

Tumnus sighed in relief, setting the girl back upon her feet. He then kissed her, wrapping his arms around her just in case she swooned again. Lucy kissed him back.

"I love you so much," Tumnus said voice full of emotion.

"I love you too, my Dear Tumnus," Lucy hugged him, laying her head upon his chest, hearing his heart beat.

And that was how Queen Lucy the Valiant of Narnia married Tumnus the faun, a commoner but beloved best friend of the Queen.

The End


End file.
